Jake Hill in the MB Motorsport BMW sets the pace in free practice one in a session that started wet and dried as the session progressed. Hill set the time late on in the session beating NAPA Racing UK driver Ash Sutton and teammate and championship leader Dan Cammish.
Hill set a time of 48.684 seconds leaving himself ahead of Sutton by 0.097 seconds with a further 0.103 seconds back to Cammish. As the Brands Indy circuit is in use the gaps down the field are marginal at best.
Next in the order is EXCELR8 driver Tom Ingram who had a better start than the first practice session at Donington. Then the session was cut short due a technical issue bringing the car to a halt whereas this time Ingram recorded 21 laps setting a time of 48.925 seconds.
The first Team BMW car in the order was Colin Turkington in fifth behind Ingram by 0.068 seconds. In sixth was Bobby Thompson in the Team HARD car who for most of the session was trading times with fellow Cupras as many were hoping for the session to dry out.
Behind was the third NAPA Racing UK driver and last time polesitter Dan Rowbottom who was unable to show the pace of his teammates early on in the weekend. Despite the positions between them there was only 0.163 seconds between Rowbottom and Cammish.
In eighth was the third BMW and the second Team BMW car with Adam Morgan driving the number 33. The only Toyota Gazoo Racing UK car in the top 10 was the number 37 of Ricky Collard showing some pace that had not quite been shown by his teammates.
Stephen Jelley rounded out the top 10 meaning there were four different brands toward the sharp end after the opening practice session of the weekend came to a close. There was green flag running throughout the session with only Nic Hamilton in the Team HARD not setting a lap time in the session without pitting.
Session results
| POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 24 |  |
Jake HILL | Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport | BMW 330e M Sport | 18 | 48.684 | – |
| 2 | 116 | |
Ashley SUTTON | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 25 | 48.781 | 0.097 |
| 3 | 27 | |
Dan CAMMISH | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 25 | 48.884 | 0.200 |
| 4 | 1 | |
Tom INGRAM | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 21 | 48.925 | 0.241 |
| 5 | 4 | |
Colin TURKINGTON | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 25 | 48.993 | 0.309 |
| 6 | 19 | |
Bobby THOMPSON | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 24 | 49.008 | 0.324 |
| 7 | 32 | |
Daniel ROWBOTTOM | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 25 | 49.047 | 0.363 |
| 8 | 33 | |
Adam MORGAN | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 23 | 49.157 | 0.473 |
| 9 | 37 | |
Ricky COLLARD | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 26 | 49.220 | 0.536 |
| 10 | 12 | |
Stephen JELLEY | Team BMW | BMW 330e M Sport | 18 | 49.224 | 0.540 |
| 11 | 6 | |
Rory BUTCHER | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 22 | 49.251 | 0.567 |
| 12 | 42 | |
George GAMBLE | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing UK | Toyota Corolla GR Sport | 25 | 49.284 | 0.600 |
| 13 | 88 | |
Mikey DOBLE | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 22 | 49.291 | 0.607 |
| 14 | 66 | |
Josh COOK | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 17 | 49.372 | 0.688 |
| 15 | 123 | |
Daniel LLOYD | Autobrite Direct with Millers Oils | CUPRA Leon | 22 | 49.415 | 0.731 |
| 16 | 16 | |
Aiden MOFFAT | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 23 | 49.464 | 0.780 |
| 17 | 40 |  |
Árón TAYLOR-SMITH | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 26 | 49.486 | 0.802 |
| 18 | 96 | |
Jack BUTEL | Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown | CUPRA Leon | 28 | 49.513 | 0.829 |
| 19 | 17 | |
Dexter PATTERSON | Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD. | CUPRA Leon | 28 | 49.537 | 0.853 |
| 20 | 11 | |
Andrew WATSON | CarStore Power Maxed Racing | Vauxhall Astra | 24 | 49.666 | 0.982 |
| 21 | 99 | |
Jade EDWARDS | Re.Beverages and Bartercard with Team HARD. | CUPRA Leon | 29 | 49.779 | 1.095 |
| 22 | 77 | |
Sam OSBORNE | NAPA Racing UK | Ford Focus ST | 23 | 50.234 | 1.550 |
| 23 | 70 | |
Will POWELL | One Motorsport with Starline Racing | Honda Civic Type-R | 24 | 51.344 | 2.660 |
| 24 | 22 | |
Nick HALSTEAD | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 18 | 54.104 | 5.420 |
| 25 | 14 | |
Ronan PEARSON | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 16 | 1:04.065 | 15.381 |
| 26 | 3 | |
Tom CHILTON | BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 | Hyundai i30 N Fastback | 9 | 1:04.408 | 15.724 |
| 27 | 28 | |
Nicolas HAMILTON | Go-Fix with Autoaid Breakdown | CUPRA Leon | 7 | 1:16.688 | 28.004 |